Autumn of Terror || h.s. au

Chapter 7: Just Rest for a Moment

     We finally get back to the house and I reluctantly take my coat off. It's so cold here, I'd rather sleep with it on. But it's been everywhere today and the bottom is covered in dirt, and I don't want to sleep in dirt. Niall sighs and runs right into the kitchen.

     "Niall?" I call.

     "We haven't eaten all day, I'm starving!" He shouts back. "Come join me."

     Harry and I, once our coats and shoes are off, join Niall in the kitchen. It's hard to find food that isn't fruits or vegetables in Whitechapel, so I wonder what he thinks we're going to eat.

     "We don't have much, Niall," Harry tells him.

     Niall places a meat pie on the kitchen table and grins. "Bought this on the way here after the investigation earlier today. They were expensive, so I could only buy one. I hope you don't mind sharing."

     We grab a few forks and begin eating from the tin the pie came in, not bothering to get plates. The pie is small, so we finish it quickly. It didn't taste too good, but it was food and Niall was right, we haven't eaten all day. Sometimes, I get so into my work that I forget to eat.

     "That was disgusting," says Harry as he puts his last bite into his mouth. "I think we should go to sleep, it's been a long day."

     "I'm with you, man," Niall replies. "I could sleep right through the rest of the week."

     I laugh. "You two go on ahead and sleep, I'm not tired yet."

     "Are you sure?" Harry asks, and I nod. "Well then, let me set the fireplace for you."

     He gets up from the table and walks right into the small living room, kneeling down and starting a small fire in the fireplace. I go into the living room and watch him lift a cushioned chair and place in front of the fireplace and a bit to the right. Then, he turns to me.

     "Thank you," I smile, giving him a kiss on the cheek. I sit on the chair and love the warm feeling I'm getting from the fire. "I'll join you soon, I won't be down here for more than an hour."

     Harry grins, "Okay. Niall's already gone up to his room. I almost didn't see him, he was so quick. I guess I'll go to bed now," he bends down to my level and kisses me. "Goodnight, darling."

     "Goodnight," I respond. I watch him walk up the stairs and go into our room, which is across the hall from Niall's room. I look forward and stare into the fire, letting my mind wander. This is my first official case as a detective, but it's unlike any I've ever come across. We already know everything we need to know to solve it, and it's only been a day. I'm not saying it's bad that it hasn't taken long to figure it out, only that there's definitely something wrong with this case. I've said this before and I'll say it again, it's too simple. It's not puzzling enough for me to have to use my brain that much.

     There's also the problem of Liam Payne. He's a strange man, and a little too excited for watching fights. Then again, he makes money off of these fight, I'd be excited too if that was me. What he said bothers me, though. Thomas Cutbush was at the fight club all night, he didn't leave until three in the morning. It doesn't fit in with the fact that his name was on Ms. Stride's list of clients last night. Then, I gasp.

     Liam said that Mr. Cutbush owed many people money, so that must mean he was set up by someone who didn't get money from him. It's entirely possible that someone would be angry enough to frame him for a murder they committed. This opens the door to many new theories, but I can't do a thing about it until we meet up with Mr. Cutbush himself. At least this clears him of any suspicions, but it just took me a step back.